Published Mar 18, 2020
Ask Farrell: Which SEC freshmen will impress in 2020?
Adam Gorney and Mike Farrell
Rivals.com

The 2019 class was loaded with five-stars who picked SEC schools, and last season many of those players shined on some of the biggest spotlights in college football.

Five-star receiver George Pickens led Georgia in all receiving categories and he looks like a future star in Athens. Plenty of defensive players for the Bulldogs that came from the 2019 class made major contributions.

Georgia was hardly the only school that had numerous top prospects from the 2019 class shine last season.

At Alabama, linebacker Shane Lee finished second on the team in tackles.

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MORE ASK FARRELL: Which Big Ten freshmen will impress in 2020? | Which ACC freshmen?

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

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Of course, Derek Stingley, Jr. was one of the best cornerbacks in the country as a freshman and backed up his ranking as the No. 1 prospect. Linebacker Marcel Brooks, running back John Emery and defensive tackle Siaki Ika are some other big names from that class who could emerge once others go on to the NFL.

At Texas A&M, freshman running back Isaiah Spiller led the Aggies in rushing, and former five-star defensive end DeMarvin Leal flashed his special ability at times. He could be in store for a huge career in College Station.

Across the conference, players from the 2019 class made a huge impact on wins, losses and the future of nearly every program.

And now we look toward the 2020 class.

Georgia won its third-straight team recruiting title and the Bulldogs had five five-stars in the class with offensive linemen Broderick Jones and Tate Ratledge, running back Kendall Milton, tight end Darnell Washington and defensive back Kelee Ringo leading the way.

Alabama is right behind Georgia with four five-stars in quarterback Bryce Young, linebackers Chris Braswell and Demouy Kennedy and defensive end William Anderson. Last recruiting cycle, there were 19 five-star prospects who signed with SEC schools.

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FARRELL'S TAKE 


We ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell to take a look across the 2020 class in the SEC and make predictions on some players who could have huge first seasons at their school.

“There are too many to name in the SEC because of the talent the conference gets every year, but I’ll try to point out a few guys I like. Tank Bigsby at Auburn could be special and is a great fit for the offense, while Broderick Jones and Kelee Ringo are going to be stars at Georgia. Alabama is loaded with talent coming in, but Bryce Young is the one who will make the biggest impact.

"Arik Gilbert and Elias Ricks are potential first-rounders down the line for LSU, and I love Demond Demas and Jaylon Jones at Texas A&M. Quarterback Harrison Bailey could be the most important recruit for Tennessee in a long time, and Gervon Dexter and Derek Wingo will be dominant on defense for Florida. Jordan Burch and Justin Rogers are freaks for the defenses at South Carolina and Kentucky, respectively. And so on. It’s a ridiculous amount of talent.”